Take Me Back to Manhattan
by lovelylittleflowerchild
Summary: Sequel to "The Years Between Us" brought to you by me and my buddy Iwait4theRain. AU haters beware
1. Back To Manhattan

Hello, it's me again...but really it's me and Iwait4theRain again. For you see, we, yes we, wrote this fic together. It was a joy to work with her and I encourage you all to go read her WSS fics. She is quite talanted and is the only person who knows what Mint Wars and The Happy Hippie Home Helpers Club are. But you all probably don't care about our friendship, so on with the story.

This fic is a sequel to my AU fic "The Years Between Us". If AU is not for you, stop reading now before you have a cow. Otherwise, we hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Mommy? Are we there yet?" Rose whined from the backseat of the family car. It was early August and much too hot to be sitting in the car for this long.

"No Rose, we're still not there." Maria said, not thrilled with the heat either. Rose had been asking the same question every five minutes or so, thinking that every time the car passed any sort of building, they were in the city.

"Oh." Rose sighed, highly disappointed.

"OUCH!" Tony exclaimed from the driver's seat as a small mint collided with the back of his head. Maribel's high pitched laughter filled the car. Maribel and Rose had been fighting over a pack of Mentos since they had stopped to get gas…two hours ago. It was decided the mints were Maribel's after she won the quiet game; which obviously was a suggested game to play by the girls' parents. Was that coming back to get them now.

"Maribel, what have I told you about throwing mints at your father while he's driving?" Maria addressed her oldest daughter as calmly as possible. Maribel promptly stopped laughing and hung her head in shame.

"Sorry Mommy, sorry Daddy."

"Daddy?"

"Yes Rose?"

"I'm tired." Rose whined. Boy, did Tony love to hear that phrase.

"Then take a nap." Tony suggested.

"But I can't!"

"Why not, Rose?" Tony sighed.

"Because Maribel keeps poking me!" Rose whined very loudly.

"What? I am not!" Maribel protested as she gave her sister a push.

"Maribel." Maria sighed."But I wasn't!" Maribel argued, knowing very well she was right and as usual, Rose was lying.

"Maribel, please." Tony said.

"Humph." Maribel folded her arms in defeat. Rose turned to her sister and stuck her tongue out at her.

"Take a nap now Rose." Tony suggested.

"Okay! Good-night!" Rose closed her eyes and laid her head back on the seat. Maribel promptly followed.

"Are you excited to be going back?" Maria whispered quietly so she wouldn't wake up the girls.

"As excited as I'll ever be." Tony sighed, "What about you?"

Maria silently laughed to herself. She was very, very nervous about returning to the city. Even if it was only for a few days. Yet, she was excited to see Anita and Carlos again.

"Me too."

* * *

Tony looked out the window, watching the scenery roll by. The vast fields and grass that passed them by earlier had been traded for farms, bustling towns, suburban neighborhoods, and the bridge they were crossing right now. The island of Manhattan was in close reach. Tony was glad to be returning home. This was the place he was born and raised in. He had walked these streets in his past years. He remembered being with his friends. He remembered being happy and smiling and feeling so great that nothing could touch him. Now he knew that those were dark days. The life he had now was what he wanted.

"Daddy?" Maribel woke up rubbing her eyes.

"Yes Maribel?" Tony whispered.

"Are we there yet?"

Tony laughed to himself. "Yes. We're here."

"Yay!" Maribel shrieked.


	2. A Sign From A Parking Ticket

Back for seconds, are we? Iwait4theRain and I thank **CouchPotato94** and **Penny L. Pingleton **for the reviews. You don't (na, you probably do) know how much it means to us! Anyway, after this chapter more interesting things will happen. At least my partner in crime and I hope you find things more interesting! If you don't...then I give you permission to tar and feather me via the Internet *gulp* On an unrelated note, last night Iwait4theRain and I discovered we are both closet fans of "Wife Swap", not that you probably care. Just thought it'd be nice to share!

Happy Reading! :3

* * *

When the tall buildings were in close sight, Maribel lifted her head from the car window. She looked at Rose, who had not moved since she'd fallen asleep. Maribel licked her finger and slowly reached towards her sister.

"Ewww! Mommy! Maribel gave me a Wet Willy!"

"Maribel, must you always tease your sister?"

"I thought that's why Rose was here; so I had something to do in the car."

Maria shook her head before resting it against the car window. The all too familiar buildings made her hurt inside. She told herself that everything was going to be fine; from what Anita had told her over the phone, her parents wanted to see her. But that was two weeks ago- things can change.

"Maria, every thing is going to be fine. Believe me."

"Okay. But if you want to go home, all…"

"Maria! It'll be fine."

Tony looked for an empty space along the crowded sidewalk to park.

"Okay. Maribel, Rose, stay _on _the sidewalk. Not near it or next to it. And make sure to hold onto my or your mother's hand."

Maribel opened up the car door and looked up in awe at the larger than life buildings. Rose however, had found another normal sight of the city.

"Daddy! Look at the kitty!"

The kitty Rose had spotted looked as if all the fur on it's body had been shaved off at one point and it's left ear was nothing but a nub. But of course, four-year-olds see an animal and all they think is how cute it is. Rose began to run towards the cat when Tony grabbed her by the hand.

"Rose, no! You don't touch stray animals! Especially in the city."

"But Daddy! It's a kitty!"

The cat jumped into a trash can and a loud, ear splitting yelp emerged from inside. Rose backed away from the trash can and latched on to her father's leg.

"Aaaa! I want to go home! This place is scary!"

"Rose, we've been here for what, three minutes? It's not even dark out yet."

"But that trash can _ate _the kitty!"

Maribel rolled her eyes at her sister. Knowing that Rose was gullible and easily scared by well, everything, Maribel decided to play along.

"Maybe we'll put you in there too."

"DADDY!"

"Maribel, _please_. Leave Rose alone."

"Yeah, leave Rose alone Maribel!"

While Tony tried to calm down two children who were suffering from the effects of a long car ride, Maria stayed in the car. To her surprise, everything looked the same. The buildings, the scenery, the smog. She thought that at least _something _would seem different; Maria knew that she was different than she was six years ago. And in a way, something was different. Maria just didn't want to say what that something was. A tap on the window made Maria jump. Maribel had her face smashed against the window in an attempt to get her mother out of the car. When Maria stepped out of the car, Rose ran to her.

"Mommy! That trash can ate a kitty!"

Maria looked down at Rose, wondering if she herself had ever believed silly things like that. Tony placed a hand on Maria's shoulder.

"You ready?"

"I guess."

* * *

"Twenty five, twenty five."

As they climbed the stairs to Anita's apartment, Maribel wanted to show off her counting abilities. But when she got to twenty five, she gave up and just kept repeating the same number over and over again. Tony looked at his daughter, trying to hide his annoyance.

"Maribel! That's enough!"

When Maribel had stopped making unnecessary noise, Rose was just starting. She began to whistle, or at least attempt to whistle, the_ Gilligan's Island_ theme song. Maribel looked at her sister in annoyance.

"Rose! You are _never_ quiet! And you are a very bad whistler!"

"Fine then! I'll sing! Just sit right back and, uh…a three hour tour! A three hour tour!"

"Girls! You can't be loud; you see all those doors? People live in there and they probably don't want to hear what the two of you have to say." Maria said in a last attempt to get the girls to be quieter. Rose, trying to make a point, whispered to her mother in a very exaggerated tone.

"Mommy? How many more stairs do we have to climb? My legs are tired!"

Before Maria had time to answer Rose, they arrived at their destination. Maria hesitated before knocking on the door. She heard a noise come form the other side of the door before it opened. Carlos looked up at Maria.

"Hi! Are you.."

"Carlos! What have I told you about answering the door? If it's one of those…"

Anita paused when she got to the door.

"Now, are sure you have the right address?"

Rose sighed as she peered up at Anita.

"I hope so. My legs hurt!"

Anita ushered them inside. The floor of the apartment was covered with unpacked boxes as was the couch. As Anita moved boxes away, she looked at her guests apologetically.

"Sorry about the mess. We just moved in a month ago and I haven't really got around to unpacking everything."

"Anita it's fine. Believe me."

"Yeah, you should see our house." Maria gave Tony a nudge to the stomach.

As the children disappeared into one of the bedrooms, Tony headed back to the door.

"I'm going to go get our suitcases out of the car."

Anita watched Tony leave. Once he was gone, she looked at Maria.

"What's it been? Six years?"

"Yes; Seven in October."

Maria had a sense of sadness in her voice. She looked up at a picture on the wall of Anita and Carlos. Maria tried to envision a third person in that picture, but doing that made her feel guilty. Anita noticed her friend gazing at the picture.

"Maria, you know that I'm not angry at you. I'm happy for you."

"I know. I…I'm just a little nervous about seeing my family. I don't know what they're going to say."

Anita laid a hand on Maria's shoulder.

"It'll be fine. I can even come with you if you want me too."

"NO! NO! NO!"

Maria and Anita looked towards the hallway. Carlos ran into the living room, a fish bowl in one hand and a plastic sword in the other. Maribel and Rose were close behind him. Anita grabbed the fish bowl from her son's hands before he lost the frog somewhere in the apartment.

"Carlos, what on _earth _are you doing?"

"I wanted to show Maribel and Rose the frog I still have from their house. Then Maribel told Rose she should kiss it! And she _did!_"

Maria looked at her daughters in shock, not knowing which one to be more angry at.

"Maribel, _why _did you tell your sister to kiss a frog?"

"Because. You read us a story about a princess who kissed a frog and then the frog turned into a prince. I wanted to see if Hoppy would become a prince."

"Maribel…"

Maria trailed off, not really knowing what to say to Maribel. The door opened up, and a very angry Tony came inside.

"The mother-"

"Tony!"

Maria pointed towards the three pairs of little ears in the room. Tony dropped the suitcases to floor before showing Maria the source of his anger.

"Can you believe I got a parking ticket? A _parking ticket!_"

"Daddy what's a parking ticket?"

"A parking ticket, Maribel, is something that you never want to get, okay? And you get parking tickets by supposedly blocking the alleyway. Like a fire is really going to start! _And _someone scraped against the side of our car and left a huge a-," Tony bit his tongue, remembering the little ones that were present. "They left a very large paint mark on the door. What a way to start off the week, huh?"

Tony picked the suitcases up from the floor and walked down the hall. Maria shook her head and smiled.

"If this is a sign as to how the week is going to be, I'm worried."


	3. Someone Walked Over My Grave

Third time's the charm! Baked goods go to **CouchPotato94 **and **Penny L. Pingleton **for the reviews. Now, I must be like a mommy and brag: Iwait4theRain did an _amazing _job writing this chapter (much like she did on the first chapter). So, any reviews for this chapter should be dedicated to her, because all I did for this chapter was click the "Add chapter" link and post it. Remember, always read fanfiction with a buddy! :3

* * *

"Bye Mommy!" Rose and Maribel waved good-bye and headed out into the hallway.

"Good-bye! Be careful please!" Maria called after them.

"Don't worry! They'll be just fine! After all, I'll be with them." Tony held his head up high in exaggerated confidence. Maria rolled her eyes.

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better."

"So I lost the girls in a store _once _and you never trust me alone with them again?"

"Just watch them closely."

"Carlos! Come here." Anita called to her son.

"_Sí_ Mama?"

"Now Carlos, make sure you watch out for your cousins and Uncle Tony. You know how he can get."

"_Sí_ Mama! I will! Good-bye!" Carlos hugged his mother and headed out into the hallway to wait with his cousins.

"Bye." Tony kissed his wife and led Maribel, Rose and Carlos out of the apartment building.

"Uncle Tony? You do know which way we're going right?" Carlos asked.

"Of course I do! I used to come to this park all the time when I was your age." Rose stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widened to twice their size.

"Whoa! That must have been like a zillion years ago!"

Tony chose wisely to ignore this comment.

"How much longer until we get there?" Maribel asked.

"Not too long, hang in there Maribel." Tony promised.

"Did you remember the frog?" Rose whispered not-so-quietly to Carlos.

"Of course I did!" Carlos whispered not-so-quietly back as he peered into his pocket to make sure it was still there.

"Is that the park, Daddy?" Maribel pointed to a tall chain-link fence up ahead of them.

"Yep, that's it."

"Last one there has to kiss the frog!" Carlos screamed as he and Maribel tore off toward the park. "Wait! Wait for me! I don't wanna kiss the frog again!" Rose struggled to keep pace behind them.

Tony walked slowly into the park, and sat against the chain-link fence. He looked around him; little children played tag across the scorching pavement. He smiled, because he remembered being that small. A tear came to his eye as he remembered just exactly who he used to spend countless hours playing tag with. When exactly had childhood stopped being so sweet? Maybe it was when he watched his best friend get knifed. No, Tony thought, it was way before then.

Something in the far corner of his vision caught Tony's eye. A group of boys were huddled at the end of the playground. All of them looked exactly the same. They couldn't have been more than sixteen, yet, each and everyone of them wore a stone-hard expression on their face. Except for one whose expression was very smug. When he snapped his fingers, all the other boys relaxed their positions and turned to look at him with awe. Tony suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He got up and was about to go and confront the boys until a familiar voice brought him back to reality.

"Daddy!" Rose shrieked.

"What is it Rose?" Rose took a deep breath and began.

"Carlos and Maribel said that whoever got here last had to kiss the frog, and I was the last one so I had to kiss the frog. But it was really, really yucky, so I asked Maribel and Carlos if I could get a drink of water from that water fountain and they said I could so I did, but when I went to get a drink, Maribel squirted the water in my face! Then she laughed at me! And _then_…"

"Rose." Tony said calmly. "Where exactly are Maribel and Carlos?"Rose pointed to the playground where her sister and her cousin were holding a frog out to a small, scared-looking kid. Tony smacked the palm of his hand to his forehead.

"Rose, please go get your sister and Carlos. I think it's time to go."

"Okay! I'll be right back." Tony gathered himself and plastered a smile on his face as the kids returned.

"Daddy do we have to go now?" Maribel whined.

"Yes Maribel."

"Aw can we stay five more minutes please, Uncle Tony?" Carlos pleaded.

"We'll come back some other day."

"Fine." Maribel sighed.

"Let's go." Tony herded the kids out of the park and onto the sidewalk, taking one last glance back. He was glad to be out of there; that place gave him the chills.


	4. Tell Me What My Youth Was For

Greetings to all! If you are wondering why this has been updated twice in the same weekend, it is because two reviewers have pressed for another update and Iwait4theRain and I are like five-year-olds on Christmas morning and couldn't resist the request.

The title of this chapter combines different lyrics from the song "1234" by Feist (aka, that catchy song form the ipod commercial). Anyway, the song sorta fits with the beginning of this chapter. You don't need to listen to the song for this chapter to make sense, but it's a good song (at least I think so, but hey, you might not agree). Before I begin discussing more random facts about my musical interests, my partner in crime and I thank CouchPotato94, Penny L. Pingleton, and maddiekinzzz for the reviews! Also, maddiekinzzz made my day with the phrase "Tony and Maria babies".

Remember, friends don't let friends read fanfiction drunk!

* * *

"Hello? Hello?"

Maria looked around at the empty community center. Six years ago, something began and ended in this very place. She was really hoping that Chino wouldn't be here. Why she ever even asked Anita about him was still beyond her. Maria didn't really want to see him; it was more just wanting to know that he too had moved on since then. Maria grabbed the door handle and was about to step outside when she heard the sound of footsteps. Chino looked as if he had seen a ghost. Maria moved forward a bit, a small smile making it's way across her face. For a while, Chino and Maria stared at each other. The expression across Chino's face was somewhere between pain and happiness.

"Maria…I, I…how are you?"

"I'm fine. And you?"

"The same. What, what are you doing here?"

Maria hesitated before answering him.

"Oh, uh…To…Tony and I came to visit for a few days."

Chino looked away from Maria for the first time since he'd come into the room.

"I see. Do your parents know that you are here?"

"Yes."

Maria remembered that night here; she wondered if Chino did. She couldn't help but notice his eyes seemed focused on the gold band around her finger.

"That Tony is one lucky man."

"Oh, thank you. But I'm sure you've made someone very lucky too."

"No I can't say I have."

"Well at least not yet."

"I don't know Maria. Marriage isn't for everyone."

Was this really the same Chino Maria had known? Was she the reason he became like this? Wanting to change the subject, Maria asked him something else.

"So what made you decide to work here?"

Chino looked around the empty space, like he too was recalling the night that changed the course of not just Maria's life, but his own as well.

"That summer, something happened. I watched my best friend get killed and…I just wanted to redeem myself somehow. And this only seemed fitting."

Chino didn't need to tell Maria what he had planned to do that night. They were all adults and silly kid's games shouldn't mean anything now. But why did it seem like they still did? The door to the gym swung open, and two boys, maybe twelve, walked inside. They waved to Chino as they passed by. Maria watched them sit down on the floor and assumed they were waiting for Chino.

"Chino, I better get going. I don't know when Tony was planning on coming back with the girls from the playground and we have some other things we wanted to do today. It was nice seeing you."

"You too Maria. And I'm sure those girls are awfully pretty with you as their mother."

Maria turned a bit pink at that comment and could only manage a nod. As Chino watched her disappear from his life once again, one of the boys got up from the floor.

"That girl was really pretty."

Chino looked at the boy's young face, wondering when he had felt like he had.

* * *

"How was the playground?"

Tony looked at Maria through the darkness. A soft glow from a street light ventured in the window, casting a shadow across the pull out couch they were sleeping on.

"Tony what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just…eh, forget it."

"No, tell me."

"Maria, every thing's the same. I thought things would be different."

"Me too. But I guess some things just don't change."

Maria turned over on her side and gazed out the window that overlooked the streets. It felt almost uncomfortable now to hear so much noise.

"I forgot how loud it was here."

"Yeah. Hey, I was thinking tomorrow night you and I could go somewhere."

"You mean like a date?"

"I guess. I mean, we never really had one of those."

"There were lots of things we didn't have. Oh, we can't."

"Why not?"

"Because. Anita has some emergency alteration thing she has to do tomorrow evening. It's not like we could really leave the girls and Carlos alone all evening."

"That's what babysitters are for."

"Tony our past experiences with babysitters weren't all that great."

"Maria, that lady was like eighty. It's not her fault she caught a dish towel on fire. And I happen to know a wonderful babysitter."

"Really? And who would that be?"

"Do you remember my friend Action?"

Maria turned over so she was facing Tony. She looked at him like he was crazy.

"No Tony! No! We are _not _leaving our daughters and our nephew alone with him! We'd be better off with Mrs. Katz."

"That the dish towel lady?"

"No. Mrs. Katz taught the girls how to play poker. But don't let that make you think that we're leaving the girls with him."

"Maria, do you think I'm insane? Of course I'd never trust Action with small children. He has a little sister, Ella. She must be about…fourteen now? Give or take a year. I don't really remember how old she was the last time I saw her."

"What if she says no?"

Tony let out a little laugh under his breath as he remembered back to all the times Action forced Ella into doing things. "If Action still treats her like he did when they were younger, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Fine. But if she's _anything_ like your friend, we're not going anywhere."

"It's a deal."

The sound of feet in the hallway made Maria sit up. Maribel was standing at the end of the couch, her faded yellow blanket in hand.

"Maribel what's wrong?"

"I can't sleep. It's too loud."

Knowing all too well Maribel's real intent, Maria sighed.

"Come here."

Maribel smiled and flopped herself down in between her parents. As she moved around to find comfortable position, Tony looked at her.

"Maribel, now you know that we love you very much. But must you…"

"But Mommy let me!"

Tony cast Maria a look.

"Yes, I guess she did."

Maribel stretched her arms out, hitting Tony's face in the process, before closing her eyes. Maribel no more fell asleep before Rose appeared.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

Rose climbed up onto the couch, crawled across her parents' legs, and then tried to squeeze in next to Maribel.

"Rose, it's too hot. Can't you and Maribel go back to..."

"No!"

Rose threw her tiny arms around Tony in an attempt to keep her place. Tony looked over at Maria and shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine. But if you wake up early, don't sit there and poke me or your mother to get us up, okay?"

"Can do!"

Rose laid her head down and quickly fell asleep. Before falling asleep himself, Tony whispered to Maria.

"And you didn't want to leave the kids with a babysitter tomorrow night."


	5. I'm No Soldier

Hey Jude, don't make it bad... I hope you all enjoyed the surprise double update last weekend. First off, this chapter is: a) Probably the longest chapter b) The chapter my buddy and I are most excited about. For this chapter includes Iwait4theRain's OC, Ella (Action's little sister). Ella makes her appearance in Iwait4theRain's wonderful story "Six Pennies", which tells the tale of how Action must babysit her one evening. As for this chapter and Ella is concerned...well, you'll see!

Also, the song "Earth Angel" which is mentioned later on in the chapter is in fact a real song; it was originally preformed by Chuck Berry but Death Cab for Cutie has an A-MAH-ZI-NG cover of the song. And FYI, I am aware that The Beatles lead vocalist is John Lennon, not John Lemon (this little note will make sense once you read the chapter, I promise!).

Many thanks to our reviewers CouchPotato94, maddiekinzzz (go Tony and Maria babies!), and Penny L. Pingleton! :3

* * *

"Carlos! I'm leaving!"

Anita picked her purse up from the table and looked at Maria.

"I swear, this is the _third _I have altered this girl's dress! And of course, she couldn't come in during the day because it didn't "work" for her!" Anita jotted down some phone numbers and tacked them to the refrigerator before continuing. "I don't think she realizes I only have so much fabric to work with; she's not a tiny girl either Maria! And _then_, trying to tell her that a fitted bodice doesn't work for everyone is like trying to tell the sun not to shine! And don't even get me started about her mother! She's a real piece of... Carlos what are you wearing?"

Carlos had appeared from his room clad in bright red footy pajamas. Anita ran a hand over his hair that was standing on end.

"Carlos why are you wearing those?"

"Cause they're cool! And I can do this!"

Carlos ran his feet over the rug a few times and held his finger out to Anita.

"See? I zapped you!"

"I do see. But aren't you going to get hot?"

"No."

Anita glanced up at the clock on the wall. She bent down to her son and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Carlos, I have to go. Please change. And be good tonight for the babysitter; we don't need a repeat of the _last _babysitting experience."

"She had it coming to her!"

"Carlos please behave."

"I pinkie promise. I love you Mama!"

"I love you. Be good!"

Anita blew a kiss to Carlos before walking out the door. Once she was gone, Carlos looked up at Tony.

"You like them, don't you Uncle Tony?"

"Sorry buddy. I'm going to have to side with your mom on this one."

Carlos sighed as he made his back to his room.

"It's not fair! Grown ups make everything boring!"

"Hey Carlos, can you see what your cousins are doing? They've been quiet for too long."

Carlos nodded at Tony and then continued down the hall. Maria sat down on the couch and laid her head against the back.

"Tony, I don't know about this."

"Maria they'll be fine. Ella grew up with Action for a brother; she's comfortable with crazy. Plus, she was a lot like Maribel and Rose when she was younger." After saying that, Tony realized that probably wasn't the best choice of words.

"And that's a good thing?"

Tony laughed when a loud scream came from down the hall.

"Maribel June!"

"Rose Annalisa!"

"Maribel June!"

"Rose Annalisa!"

Maribel and Rose shoved each other as they made their way into the living room. One of them would occasionally smack the other or push the other into the wall. Maria got up from the couch and grabbed hold of them.

"What is going on?"

Rose, now crying, explained what had happened through her sobs.

"Mommy! Maribel… tied all my…my socks together! LOOK!"

Behind Rose was a trail of brightly colored socks knotted together. The four-year-old gazed at the endless chain in distress.

"Rose spilled purple Kool-Aid on my dress!"

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

A knock at door interrupted the shouting match. Maria bent down to untie Maribel's work, that was surprisingly very good for a six-year-old.

"I'll get it." Tony answered the front door, glad to have an excuse to leave the crazy scene in the living room. He loved those girls to bits, but sometimes they drove him up the wall.

"Tony!" Ella screeched, jumping into Tony's arms.

"Ella! Wow, look 'atcha! How old are you now?"

"I just turned fifteen. How are you doing?"

"I'm great, thanks." Tony answered.

"How are you liking being home?"

"The country is my home. I hate this city." Tony scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Anyways, how's Action?"

"Stupider. I didn't even think that was possible." Ella rolled her eyes.

"I'm not surprised," Tony snorted. "C'mon let me introduce you to everyone." Tony led Ella into the living room where Maria and the kids were waiting. "Ella, this is Maria, my wife, Rose, my four-year-old daughter, Maribel, my six-year-old daughter, and this our nephew Carlos."

Carlos noticeably perked up.

"Hello Ella, thank you so much for coming." Maria shook Ella's hand.

"It's my pleasure. I had to see Tony when I heard he was in town again." Ella smiled at the children seated quietly on the couch.

"The emergency numbers are on the refrigerator just in case of…well…an emergency. Anita is at work, call her if you have any problems," Tony explained as he readied himself. "But we shouldn't be gone too long."

"Good-bye sweethearts! Come here!" Maria held out her arms for Maribel and Rose.

"Bye Mommy!" they said as Maria tightly embraced them.

"Okay, now the kids can get a little crazy. So beware," Tony quietly whispered to Ella while Maria was distracted.

"Déjà vu," Ella said with a sly smile on her face.

"Now remember, be nice, remember your manners, and don't fight, and don't touch sharp things, and don't go near the fire escape, and don't talk to strangers, and…" Maria had given the girls the same speech earlier today, but she knew she couldn't go over it enough.

"And don't breathe, and don't laugh, and don't have fun…" Tony mumbled sarcastically.

"Oh stop it!" Maria slapped his arm.

"C'mon, they're gonna be fine and we're gonna be late."

"Alright. Lets go," Maria sighed.

"Bye Mommy, bye Daddy, we love you!" Maribel and Rose waved. "Bye _tia _and _tio_!" Carlos called.

"Good-bye, I love you!" Maria headed out the door with a tear in her eye. "Bye girls, bye Carlos!" Tony called. "Good-luck Ella."

"Bye!" Ella shut the door behind her and turned around to find three pairs of evil eyes staring at her. "Uh-oh."

Maribel stepped forward and looked Ella over. Ella wondered if children could sense fear like animals apparently could; if they could, Ella was a goner.

"Do you like to play games?" Maribel gave Ella a sheepish grin. The child had learned in her short life that the right smile could fool anyone; and Ella would be _very _easy to fool. Ella backed up a little, wondering what she had gotten herself into. She was beginning to think all those times Tony had tolerated her growing up weren't equal to watching three children-one which wasn't even Tony's.

"I, I guess. Why?"

"Because! You're it!"

Maribel pulled a straw from her pocket and blew into one end, sending a Mento right at Ella's forehead.

"Ha ha! Direct hit!" Maribel and Rose exchanged a high five before running down the hall. Ella's eyes dropped to Carlos, who hadn't stopped staring at her since she'd come in.

"Hi. Don't you want to go play with your cousins?"

"No, I like this better," Carlos replied in a dreamy voice. Ella gave him a small, and very forced, smile. She was relieved when Rose peeked her head around the corner.

"Carlos! Come on!"

Before following Rose, he gave Ella a little smile.

"I may be short now, but someday I won't be."

Carlos headed for the hallway, falling over the coffee table in the process. Ella cautiously looked around the apartment, making sure the little lovelies had nothing else in store for her. She then heard a scream from one of the bedrooms. Ella dashed down the hall and found Maribel and Carlos standing on the bed. Ella assumed the lump under the covers was Rose.

"What are you doing?"

"We heard a funny sound outside!"

"I'm sure it's nothing; come on. How about we play a board game?"

Rose peeked her head out from under the covers and looked at Ella horrified.

"But what if there's someone out there? On the fire thingy?"

Ella sighed and walked towards the window. Carlos stopped her before she opened it up.

"Here! Use this!"

Carlos handed her a baseball bat.

"Thanks."

"Anything for you."

Ella slowly unlocked the window and peered out to the alleys below. Nothing, just like she thought.

"Guys, there's nothing out there."

Rose had finally crawled out from under the covers and was standing cautiously behind Ella.

"Are, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Are you _really_ sure?"

"I told you! I'm…aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

Ella heard the click of the locks on the window and realized a little too late what Rose had done.

"Always the little ones," Ella said. She pounded on the window, but only managed to get a wave from the girls. Tony was understating when he said they get a _little_ crazy. Ella noticed Carlos wasn't in the room; probably on his way outside to save to me, Ella thought. Her pounding seemed to have gotten the attention of the neighbors across the way; and having a baseball bat with her made the scene look even worse.

"Breaking the law must run in the family," Ella mused as she heard the sound of police sirens.

When Ella got back upstairs, she found the children sitting on the couch eating out of a carton of ice cream. Carlos jumped up from the couch and threw his arms dramatically around her, his sticky fingers wrapping around Ella's wrists.

"Oh Ella! I wanted to come save you, but they wouldn't let me!" Carlos shot Maribel and Rose a hard glance. His face softened when he looked back to Ella. "Did anything bad happen to you?"

"No, I'm fine. And why do you smell so weird?"

"Oh, I used some of my Uncle Tony's cologne. Do you like it?"

Ella pried Carlos off of her and looked at Rose.

"Why did you do that? You know the neighbors called the police?"

Rose dropped her spoon into the half melted carton of ice cream as her bottom lip started to quiver. She then began to sniffle and burst into tears. Ella wondered if she had ever acted this way. She bent down to Rose's level and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, no don't cry! Maribel! What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know. The only other time she cries this much is when I do this. See!"

Maribel turned to her sister and crossed her eyes. Sure enough, Rose began to cry even harder. Ella, not wanting to get any more unwanted attention from the neighbors, pulled a dollar from her pocket.

"Rose, how about I give you a dollar if you stop crying, huh? And I promise I won't tell your mommy and daddy what you did, okay?"

Rose's crying halted as quickly as it had begun. As she wiped her eyes, she looked at Ella.

"If you give all three of us a dollar we'll show you where we hid your shoes."

Ella sighed, and removed two more dollars from her pocket. Rose got down from the couch and took Ella's hand.

"Rose where are you taking me?"

"Where your shoes are. Do care if they got wet?"

Ella didn't have time to ask before Rose led her into the bathroom. Rose pointed to the far corner, causing Ella to cringe. Now Ella knew that she had caused some trouble for her brother, but she didn't think she _ever_ made him fish his shoes out of the toilet.

* * *

"Do you think they're okay?"

"Maria I'm sure they're all fine and having lots of fun. Gotta have more faith."

"Isn't that what you said before you let go of Maribel on her bike?"

"In my defense Maribel told me to let go."

Tony looked out the restaurant window and focused on a young boy and girl. The boy had a camera in his hands and was trying to snap a picture of the girl. As he backed up, he bumped into a display of fruit causing lemons to go every which way. As the girl bent down to help pick them up, they both burst into laughter. Tony couldn't help but smile at them. Was that what he and Maria had missed out on? Being young and not feeling like you must hide away your feelings?

"Is that what we missed out on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, all those awkward dates you go on before you really truly begin to love somebody."

Maria turned towards the window and saw what had brought this up. The lemons had been cleaned up, and now the young pair was seated on a bench. Maria hoped that they had time to enjoy being young and in love; and not have to hide away from the world.

"Yes but maybe it's a good thing we missed out on that. Because who's to say that we'd be sitting here now."

* * *

"Eee-mer-gen-cee numbers."

"We have numbers like this on our fridgerator at home too."

Maribel and Carlos were standing in front of the refrigerator and reading the list of phone numbers written neatly on a piece of paper.

"Why is your number on here Maribel?"

"I don't know."

"Mama told me I'm not allowed to call any of these numbers if there isn't anything wrong, but we always call your number. And she told me I'm only allowed to call this number if there is something _very _wrong."

Carlos pointed to the first line that had 911 written on it. Maribel turned to her cousin.

"Really? Daddy told me and Rose the same thing!"

The children stared up at this forbidden number, wondering what the big deal was about calling it.

"I wonder what happens if you call that number?"

"Wanna find out?"

"I, I don't know. What if something bad happens Maribel?"

Maribel was already pulling a chair across the floor so they could reach the phone.

"Carlos why would something bad happen if you're only supposed to call that number if something bad happens?"

"But nothing bad happened Maribel!"

Maribel rolled her eyes and scanned the apartment for "danger".

"There's scissors on the table!"

"You're right! And your mama told us not to touch sharp things!"

"And scissors are sharp!"

Carlos looked up at the phone and then at Maribel.

"Well…okay!"

Carlos crawled up on the chair and dialed the number. When someone picked up on the other end, he smiled at Maribel.

"911, what's your emergency?"

Carlos pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Maribel! It worked!"

"Really?"

Carlos nodded and held the phone back to his ear.

"Hello? Hello? Are you okay?"

"I guess I'm okay. How are you?"

"I'm fine. But right now I want to know if you're okay. You sound young, how old are you?"

"I'm six and my birthday is March fifth. And my cousin Maribel is here. She's six too. Her birthday is March fifteenth."

"That's very nice, but right now I need to try and help you. Is your mother or father home?"

"No. I like baseball. Do you like baseball?"

"I do like baseball, but I really need to try and help you and your cousin. Is anyone home with you? If so, are they hurt? If you're home by yourself, is it you who needs help?"

" I told you! I'm fine! And Maribel is fine too. And there is someone home with us but I think they're okay."

"You think they're okay? Why do you think they're okay?"

"I don't know."

"Are they not moving? Not breathing, bleeding, or are they telling you they hurt?"

Carlos, beginning to get frustrated with the endless questions, yelled into the receiver.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm only six!"

As Carlos continued to talk to the emergency respondent, Ella was seated on the living room floor with Rose. The child was growing impatient with the idea that Ella, in her opinion, didn't pick good stories to read.

"What about this book?"

Ella tiredly picked up what seemed like the hundredth storybook. She had a feeling that Rose's response to this one would be exactly the same as the previous ninety nine.

"No. That one is too scary." Rose shook her head.

"It's Cinderella!" Ella exclaimed.

"Nobody rides in a giant pumpkin!"

Ella sighed. "Alright, what about this one?" Ella picked up Little Red Riding Hood.

"No, her cape is a fashion disaster."

Ella raised one eyebrow in question, but promptly shook her head. "Okay then. Umm, this one?" Ella picked up Little Miss Muffet.

"What's that about?" Rose asked curiously.

"It's about a girl and a spider." Ella opened up the book and showed Rose the colorful pages.

"SPIDER!" Rose screamed.

"Yes, a spider."

"No! A REAL spider!" Rose pointed at the book. Ella looked at the book and there was indeed a spider crawling on the page.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Ella promptly shut the book and threw it out the window. A loud hiss sounded from the alley below.

"Aww, poor kitty." Rose sighed as she looked out the window.

"Umm, okay." Ella quietly said, shaking herself off. "Where are Carlos and Maribel?"

"I don't know." Rose shrugged as she picked up a coloring book from the coffee table and began scribbling over the pages Maribel had filled in. Ella listened quietly. The only sound she could hear was the radio playing in the kitchen. Ella hadn't heard a word from Maribel _or _Carlos since Rose asked for a story. That was either a good or bad thing, but she sided with it being bad.

"Carlos? Maribel?"

"I think they're in there." Rose motioned towards the kitchen as she continued to put her mark on Maribel's artwork. Ella rushed into the kitchen to find Carlos talking on the telephone and Maribel standing close beside him. Maribel gasped when she saw Ella and tapped Carlos on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Maribel, who is he talking to?"

"911. They wanna know if any of us have boo-boos."

Ella's eyes grew twice their normal size and she quickly snatched the phone from Carlos. "Sorry, wrong number." Ella hung up the phone and turned around to face the kids.

"Ella! Your face is all red!" Rose exclaimed. Ella took a deep breath and tried not to scream.

"Don't ever call that number again."

"I'm so sorry!" Carlos threw his arms around Ella and embraced her tightly. When "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" came on the radio, Carlos looked up at Ella. "I can sing like John Lemon if you want me to Ella! OH PLEASE, SAY TO ME! LET ME BE YOUR MAN! AND PLEASE, SAY TO ME! YOU'LL LET ME…"

"Why don't you all get ready for bed?" Ella winced, cutting off Carlos in mid song.

"Race you!" Maribel ran off with Rose behind her.

"I won't be gone too long, I promise!" Carlos said before he turned and followed Maribel. Ella let out a long sigh. She was beginning to understand her brother much, much more.

* * *

Tony insisted that he and Maria cut through the park on their way home; Riff after all always claimed it was romantic. Somewhere in the distance, the first notes of "Earth Angel" were played out on a saxophone; why was it that those performers were always around when no one else was? Maria looked down at Tony's hand that was intertwined with her own.

"Tony can we sit down on that bench?"

"Why? Are you scared?"

"No! I have something to tell you."

Once they were seated, Maria began.

"So, I'm just going to say this: I'm pregnant."

Tony let go of Maria's hand and stared off into the distance. Under a light post, the outline of a man could be seen, his brass instrument catching the light. Tony wondered if he was purposely following them.

"Tony, please say something. I know that we talked about this and I mean it's not really entirely my fault. But I guess I shouldn't be saying fault, because that makes this seem like a bad thing and it's really not a …"

Tony planted a kiss on Maria's lips before she could finish; he now knew why Rose explains things the way she does.

"Maria, how couldn't I be happy? When did you find out?"

"About two weeks ago. I didn't want to add to the stress of this trip. That's why I didn't tell you right away."

"Well I'm glad you waited. It makes me two weeks more happy. And you'll be glad to know the fact I think I'm sitting in gum doesn't take away from any of this."

Maria smiled at Tony and then looked down the darkened paths of the park. A patch would be lit up every so often by the light posts, attracting moths and other bugs. It almost seemed somewhat magical; alone in a place that normally isn't alone. The mysterious saxophone player was almost to the end of his song when he came to a sudden stop. The smooth notes were replaced by jagged police sirens. Tony bolted up from the bench and looked around the park.

"They're getting closer."

"What do think is wrong?"

"I don't know. But we're not going to find out, come on."

Tony grabbed Maria's hand and began to quickly walk back onto the sidewalks and into the bright lights of safety. As they continued back to Anita's apartment, all Tony could think about were those boys he saw at the playground yesterday.

* * *

Ella sat down on the couch after finally getting Carlos to sleep. It hadn't been easy, considering she wouldn't take him up on a goodnight kiss. But Ella knew from past babysitting experiences that no child could resist "Goodnight Moon" and some milk. Then again, these kids weren't like any other kids Ella had babysat for.

Sure, Ella had had her fair share of "misbehaved" kiddies; she herself had been on the misbehaved side when she was younger. But Tony's kids and Anita's little Romeo of a son took it to a whole new level: they were experts. Though, she had to give them credit for locking her out on the fire escape. It was pretty smart; she wished she had thought of it when she was younger. Oh what a fit she would of gotten out of her brother. It would have been priceless. Just before Ella fell into a fit of uncontrollable insane laughter, the door opened and Maria and Tony walked in.

"Hey Ella." Tony was glad to see that the apartment was in order, but he took note of Ella's wet shoes.

"Hi, how was your date?" Ella asked, keeping her expression as non-insane as was possible.

"Good, thank you. And how were the children? Were they too much trouble?" Maria asked. She didn't see band aids or any other first aid items lying around, which gave her a feeling of ease. Ella's eye twitched as she resisted the urge to scream. Tony also took note of this and burst out laughing. Maria eyed him.

"Nope. They were angels," Ella managed to say. At this, Tony fell to the floor in a fit of laughter.

"I'm sorry about him. Thank you so much once again. How much do we owe you?" Maria asked. Ella jumped up from the couch and blocked the coffee table where Maria had sat her purse down.

"NO! I don't need anything!"

"Are you sure? I feel bad not..."

"I'm positive! Just consider it a favor for a family friend. You're welcome; I guess I'll be going now. Good-bye." Ella headed for the door. She didn't want to stay any longer than she had to; even though Ella wanted so badly to tell Maria what all her so-called "sweethearts" had done.

"Ella! Before you go, tell Action I said hi and you're welcome," Tony managed between bursts of laughter. Ella thought briefly about knocking him out (after all, her brother had taught her a nasty right hook) but she figured there was no point and instead stormed out of the apartment, leaving a confused Maria and Tony, who continued to cackle like a mad hyena.


	6. Sweet and Sour Memories

Did some editing, forgot what witty things I had written in here...sorry!

* * *

Tony, Maria, and Anita all sat around the kitchen table, sipping their morning coffee. Maria and Anita were talking animatedly about the occurrences of the previous night while Tony sat quietly and read the newspaper, nodding whenever Maria and Anita acknowledged him. Rose shuffled in the kitchen, tiredly rubbing her eyes.

"Hello Rose," Maria said.

"Hi Mommy." Rose shuffled over to Maria and settled herself in her lap.

"And how was last night?" Anita asked. Carlos had informed Anita that he liked Ella _a lot_.

"It was so much fun," Rose giggled. Maria and Tony tried very hard to contain themselves.

"Would you like some coffee _niña_? It looks like you could use some." Anita smiled. Rose glanced at Maria and back at Anita.

"Umm..OKAY!" Rose squealed.

"Please don't." Tony glanced up from his paper and looked in Anita's direction.

"Oh a little bit won't do any harm."

Anita passed Rose her cup of coffee. Maria watched as Rose looked in the mug and bent down to stick her tongue in the coffee.

"YUCKY!" Rose jumped down from Maria's lap and ran out of the kitchen, effectively running into Tony and knocking his newspaper out of his hand.

"Rose," Tony laughed quietly to himself. He bent down to retrieve the paper and froze. The paper had fallen open to the obituaries section and a smiling face was staring up at him. _Mickey Rickertt, 16 Beloved son Shot to death last night. Funeral will be held next Saturday_ Would it ever stop? Tony wondered. Would it ever just end? Tony picked up the newspaper and crumpled it in his hand.

"Tony what's wrong?" Maria asked. What was wrong? Tony had escaped this hate-filled world years ago, but that didn't stop other kids from getting killed. But Tony just sighed and put on a smile.

"Nothing Maria, don't worry about it." The last thing Maria needed was something like that on her mind. Tony got up from the kitchen table and gave Maria a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Maria, I'm going out. I'll be back later."

Maria looked at him worriedly. "Alright, be careful. I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

It was unusually cool, especially for August; even the sky had a tint of grey to it. Tony felt is if the weather had practically changed over night due to the news the paper contained. And as he neared the rusted iron gates of the cemetery, that news stuck with him. Young people…no kids, don't belong in here, at least not forever Tony thought. But as he passed by headstones with things like, _Our sweet child _or _She's back in God's hands now, _etched into them, Tony knew that being young didn't mean you were protected from death; he had proof of that.

As Tony neared the end of the twisty path, his eyes caught the name he was looking for. He slowly dropped to the ground and read the grave marker: _"Every man dies, but not every man really lives."_ Tony thought it fit Riff well. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"So, uh, I hope no one's around. I, I probably look crazy talking to a headstone. But I like to think you can hear me." Tony glanced up when a car horn sounded in the distance. "Uh…I'm married; going on seven years at the end of the month. I know you and I used to joke around about that "marriage crap" but it's not that bad. Not that bad at all really. I wish you could of found that one girl. And then there's the kids. Get this: two little girls. And there'll be a third kid in the spring. I tell you Riff, I kinda want to thank you. All those years of being with Jets prepared me for the ultimate battle: fatherhood. They'll keep you on your toes and drive you crazy sometimes, but at the end of the day you still love them."

Tony paused and looked at the surrounding graves. Most of them were too worn to even read anymore, making Riff's stand out even more. Tony got up from the ground and brushed himself off. Before leaving, he looked back at the grave.

"You're my buddy, my pal…my best friend."

* * *

After a rather emotional morning, Tony wanted to relive one of the few happy things about the city. He wouldn't tell the girls where he was taking them, but Maria had a pretty good idea as to where they were going. But Maribel and Rose were growing impatient and guessing as to where they were headed.

"Daddy, I'm tired!"

"Well then Maribel, _someone _shouldn't of woken up in the middle of the night."

Maribel paused on the sidewalk and crossed her arms.

"Daddy I told you! There was a HUGE bug on the wall! I can't sleep when I know there's a bug in the room!"

Tony looked at Maria and rolled his eyes. Maria glanced over her shoulder and saw Rose taking her grand old time walking along the sidewalks.

"Rose come on."

Rose ran up to Maria and held out her hands.

"Mommy, look at all the cool stuff I found!"

"I see. What all do you have here?"

"A penny, a bottle cap. And a band aid!"

"Rose! Put that down!"

"Why? Is it yucky?"

Maria took the band aid from Rose and threw it into a trash can.

"Yes, it's very yucky. Come on."

Rose grabbed Maria's hand. Maria was beginning to get as impatient as the girls.

"Tony, are we almost there?"

"Hey, whining gets you nowhere Maria."

"Very funny. But I think you've been out of the city too long."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we've passed that building a few times now."

"No we haven't! The buildings all look the same, anyway."

"Tony admit it. We're lost!"

"Maria, we are not lost! We are temporarily misplaced!"

"That means lost!"

Maribel and Rose looked up at their parents, wondering why they were aloud to argue over silly things. When they neared the end of the street, Maribel pointed to a sign.

"Daddy, look! A candy store!"

Tony gave Maria a smile.

"Told you I knew where we were going."

"Uh-huh."

Tony held the door open and let Maria and the girls go inside. When Tony stepped in, his mind filled with memories; some were wonderful and some were not so great. But that event was a thing of the past, his past. Tony had learned that living in the present was the better thing to do. As Maria attempted to control the girls, Tony sat down at one of the stools along the counter and tapped on the little bell.

"I'm coming! What do you need…Tony."

"Have you missed me?"

"Of course I've missed you. You've obviously changed a lot."

"Yeah, I have. Speaking of which, Doc you remember Maria; and this is Maribel, and this is Rose."

Tony placed a hand on top of the girls' heads. Doc looked from the girls to Maria; he remembered Maria. He remembered her as a young girl waiting for a way out of the cramped, confined city. He couldn't seem to forget that image, even with two little lives now added to Maria's own life.

"My, what pretty little girls you two are."

"I know." Rose ran a hand through her hair as if hearing that was nothing new. Tony shook his head and looked at Rose.

"Rose! Say thank you when people tell you that."

As Rose shared her story about the cool stuff she found (including the band aid and how Mommy made her throw it away) with Doc, Maribel tugged on Tony's shirt.

"Daddy! Can I have a piece of candy?"

"Well I don't know. Why don't' you ask him."

Tony pointed to Doc as Maribel turned around.

"Can I have a piece of candy?"

"I don't see why not."

Maribel's eyes lit up as she ran off towards the rack of candy. Rose let go of Maria's hand and caught up with her sister.

"Girls, now don't make a mess."

"They're fine. So, how have you two been?"

Tony placed a hand over Maria's.

"Good. Hard to believe it's been six years since…"

Tony looked at Maria and didn't finish what he was about to say.

"Uh, how have things around here?"

Doc looked over at Maribel and Rose as they fingered the candy. He always guessed that out of all those boys, Tony would be one of the few that ever changed for the better. And those little girls were his commitment to that change.

"Same old, same old. Those kids still think they can claim the sidewalks and still are ki…hurting each other." Doc didn't dare continue, considering the events that had happened a few years back. But he figured that both Tony and Maria had chose to let those horrible memories in the city; which made him wonder why on earth they came back.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brought you back here?"

"Oh we didn't move back here. We just came to visit for a few days."

"Doc, Maria and I would only move back here if he had a good reason to; and we don't and probably never will have one."

"Be glad of that. I wish I had a reason to leave this place."

Maria glanced over at Maribel and Rose. Surprisingly, Maribel was helping Rose unwrap packs of Life Savers and she was placing them in neat (and equal) rows. Tony must of also noticed how well behaved they were being because he gave Maria a little nudge.

"Why don't you just leave?"

"Tony, what would I do? Where would I go? I've worked here forever and it's not like I have family or anything."

"That's the idea. You don't know where you're going. You just let life guide you."

Maria looked at Tony and rolled her eyes.

"He said the same thing when we went to the beach last summer and we ended up nowhere near the ocean."

"Again, we were temporarily misplaced."

"For three hours."

Tony put an arm around Maria and smiled at Doc.

"She doesn't forget anything. Oh, that reminds me. Doc this is for you."

Tony reached into his pocket and removed a folded envelope. Doc carefully slid the flap open and was surprised when he saw what was inside.

"Tony what's this for?"

"I always told you I'd pay you back. Sorry it took six years, but all of the money is in there."

Doc looked from Tony to Maria, unable to find the right words to say.

"Thank you. Now, you all better come to visit more often. Especially with kids as well behaved as yours."

Tony and Maria exchanged looks and smiled.

"They're usually not like this."

"Don't be modest, Maria. Mothers are supposed to brag about how polite their kids are."

"No. They are never like this."

As if to make her point, a loud crash sounded from where the girls were. Maria quickly got up from her stool and ran to the girls.

"What are the two of you doing?"

Maribel was ducked down behind a chair, while Rose hid under the table. One of them would occasionally throw a Life Saver at the other.

"We're playing Mint Wars!"

"Uh-huh! See!"

Maribel picked a Life Saver up from the floor and hurled it towards Rose.

"Ouch!" Rose collected a handful of mints and threw them in Maribel's direction. This then prompted Maribel to retaliate and Maria to lose her patience.

"Girls, get out from under the table and clean up all the candy!"

"They're not candy! They're mints!"

"_¡Ahora mismo!_

Maribel and Rose dropped to the ground and searched for mints, knowing their mother only used Spanish when she called them pet names, told them good night, or when they were in lots of trouble. Tony placed money on the counter to cover for the Life Savers that littered the floor.

"This is how they normally are. Do you still want us to come back?"

"Only because they're your kids."

Maria kept a tight grip on the girls' hands as she led them towards the counter.

"Now what do the two of you say?"

"Sorry." Maribel and Rose looked up and flashed perfect smiles at the adults. Doc bent down so he was eye level with them.

"Just promise me you'll keep your dad in line and I won't get too mad."

"You got it!"

Maria led Maribel and Rose outside, leaving Tony and Doc alone.

"Tony I hope you know how lucky you are."

Tony looked out the window at Maria and the girls. _His_ girls. Before leaving, he looked back at Doc.

"I hope _you _know that you're the reason all this happened. Thanks."

Tony walked outside and took Maria's hand before they continued down the sidewalk. Doc rethought about leaving the city. Because if he left, other kids like Tony would never be given a chance to make something out of their lives.

* * *

"If you're going to stand with the fridge open, you owe me money for milk."

Tony looked away from the fridge and saw Anita standing in the kitchen.

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep."

"I can understand why."

Both Anita and Tony looked towards the pull out couch where Maria had fallen asleep reading to the girls. Maribel was tucked under one arm and Rose tucked under the other, leaving little room for Tony.

"I'm used to that by now. I'm just a little nervous about…tomorrow."

"Ah, I see."

Tony pulled a chair away from the table and looked at Anita.

"Anita, what made you…forgive me? And please be honest."

Anita took a deep breath as she too sat down at the table.

"Well, I don't really think I have to say the _main_ reason as to why I forgave you." Anita paused, and thought back to that night. That night her lover's murderer saved her. "But, I guess it was because…you made Maria the happiest I'd ever seen her. That's what friends do, you know. They make sacrifices for each other."

"Yeah, I do." One of those favors got him to this point in life and another left him with a scar on his conscience. "Anita, did, did Maria's parents ever say anything? You know, about…everything?."

Anita leaned back against her chair and looked towards a small shelf in the living room. Her eyes were focused on a baby picture of Maribel.

"I worried about the two of you for months. And that picture of Maribel was what stopped my worrying. But for Maria's parents, that picture left them with a lot of questions. And I had all the answers to their questions they would of rather heard from Maria."

"I can imagine. And Maria and I are both very sorry for leaving you with all the explaining. If…if what had happened never had taken place, we would of explained."

"I know you would of. But again, those are the kinds of things friends do for each other."

The clock above the sink chimed eleven; Tony hadn't realized he'd been awake for that long. Anita got up from her chair, but paused before going back down the hall.

"My best advice for you tomorrow: Don't hold anything back, it may leave you with regrets later."

Once Anita was gone, Tony got up from the table and quietly walked over to the shelf. It was cluttered with pictures, most of people Tony never met and probably never would. Then, his eye caught a picture of a very familiar person. It was one of Maria; he guessed it was taken before she moved here, for a sliver of blue ocean could be seen behind her. Tony then looked to the right and saw another familiar face: Bernardo. Tony thought he looked different than how he had remembered him. His expression wasn't that hard, untrusting scowl, but an actual smile. Tony also noticed that out of all the pictures, the one he was looking at was the only one Bernardo was in. Probably because he was smiling; Anita wanted to remember him in a positive light, not in the shadow the city cast across him. As Tony reached out to pick up the frame, he managed to knock over another one. It hit the floor with a crash, luckily not shattering the glass. As he bent down to pick it up, he heard a small voice.

"Daddy?"

Maribel was rubbing her eyes as she peered over the back of the couch.

"Maribel go back to sleep."

"What happened?" Maribel yawned as Tony placed the frames back on the shelf, making sure they were in the same place as before.

"Nothing. Just go back to sleep."

"But I can't."

"Why not?"

"I, I had a scary dream."

Tony walked back to the couch and sat down on the end. Maribel carefully crawled across the couch and sat down next to him.

"Why do you have scary dreams Daddy?"

"I wish I knew."

"But aren't grown ups supposed to know everything?"

"We are, but it doesn't always mean we do."

"That doesn't make any sense."

Tony couldn't help but smile; he didn't know whether it was because of Maribel's blunt innocence or because she had a strikingly similar way of being honest like Maria.

"It doesn't. But someday you'll be a grown up and then you'll understand."

Maribel yawned once again, prompting Tony to pick her up and settle her back into Maria's arm.

"But I don't wanna be a grown up, Daddy. I wanna be six forever."

Being a kid forever. That didn't sound like such a bad idea. Tony thought back to his own childhood, when I all he wanted to do was grow up. If he knew back then that his wish would eventually cost his best friend his life, he'd of taken it back. But now it was too late; once childhood is gone, its gone forever. Tony looked over at Maribel as she slept, all memories of her scary dream gone. After turning off the lamp in the corner, Tony made his way back to the couch and slid in next to Maribel.

"Daddy."

"Yes Maribel?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	7. No Need To Apologize

"And I know there's warmth in families past their crooked open arms..." Why start off with such a (insert word of choice here) quote from a song? Well, because this chapter includes a very difficult task that Maria must preform. This chapter was named by Iwait4theRain; the title was inspired by a Paramore song. (gee, we get a lot of inspiration from music, don't we?) We thank our loyal army of reviewers: maddiekinzz, Penny L. Pingleton, and CouchPotato94.

p.s: the quote from the song in the beginning is "Rather Go" by Lucy Wainwright Roche. Good song, check it out.

* * *

The following morning was the day Maria had been dreading all week. She was sitting at the kitchen table and staring out the window for what seemed like hours. The only time she looked up was when Maribel came into the kitchen. The child rested her chin on the table and gazed up at her mother.

"Mommy what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"Then why are you crying?"

Maria put a finger to her cheek and sighed. Maribel took the sigh as a cue for story time and crawled into her mother's lap. Maria absentmindedly began to twist Maribel's hair into a loose braid, as if the task would take away from the pain in the words she was about to say.

"Maribel, you know how sometimes you and Rose do things that Daddy and I don't like?"

"Yeah." Maribel nodded her head, strongly agreeing.

"Well, I once did something that my Mommy and Daddy didn't like."

"_Really_? I didn't think grown ups could do those kinds of things."

"Everyone makes mistakes. Even grown ups."

"But you told them sorry didn't you? Like what the teacher tells us we have to do at school?"

"No, I _didn't _tell them sorry. But I am today."

Maribel gazed up at Maria with her wide blue eyes. They were full of so much innocence, so much hope. Maria wanted to keep that innocence in her daughter's eyes; she wanted to keep it both of her daughters' eyes.

"Good. Because that's the nice thing to do." Maribel reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellow ribbon. She handed it to Maria, who didn't care to know what else Maribel kept hidden in her pockets.

"It is the nice thing to do. So maybe you'll start telling your sister sorry, huh?"

"I don't know Mommy. Rose can be _very _annoying."

"Maribel." Maria tied the ribbon into a bow and dropped a kiss to Maribel's head.

"Fine. I'll start telling Rose sorry. And maybe I'll even stop being mean to her so then I won't have to tell her sorry."

"That sounds like a good plan."

Maribel crawled down from Maria's lap and headed for the hallway.

"Maribel where are you going?"

"To tell Rose I'm sorry for all the stuff I've done to her."

Maribel continued down the hall and only paused to say good morning to her father. When Tony reached the kitchen, he smiled at Maria.

"Morning."

"Good morning."

Maria's eyes went back to the window; the rainy weather matched how she felt. Tony pulled a chair away from the table and rested his hands on top of Maria's.

"Hey, everything is going to be fine."

"You say that now."

"Maria, now you know we had to get to this day sometime. And the sooner the better."

"I know. But…"

"But what? Maria, if not for you, do it for the girls. And this one."

Tony reached across the table and placed a hand on Maria's stomach.

"You're right. I just…"

"Just what? Hate to admit I'm right?"

"Maybe."

Maria looked up at Tony and smiled. Maribel appeared from down the hall, pulling Rose by her feet. When she got to the kitchen, Maribel dropped her sister to the ground.

"I got Rose to brush her teeth."

A very unhappy Rose got up from the floor and glared at Maribel.

"I told you! I can brush my teeth myself!"

"But Rose! I wanna be nice to you today! Do you need help with anything else? Can I help you get dressed? Can I…"

"NO! Go away!"

Rose ran down the hall as Maribel chased after her, still offering help to her sister.

"I tell you Maria, I never thought I'd see the day the two of them fighting over being nice to each other."

"I know. I guess everyone is making a change for the better today."

* * *

"It's okay Maria; everything will be alright." Anita tried her very best to console Maria.

"You don't know that," Maria argued.

"Oh Maria, you sound like a child!" Anita laughed.

"It's not funny, Anita! Maybe we should go back and make sure the children are alright."

"I'm sure they are doing just fine with Rosalia." Anita rolled her eyes. Maria slowed her pace, trying to waste as much time as possible. She looked over at Tony, who looked equally, if not more nervous.

"Tony? Are you alright?"

Tony's face was very pale and he kept fidgeting like someone who was experiencing cocaine withdrawal. "What?" Tony's head snapped up. "Oh yeah, I'm fine." His voice cracked and Anita stifled a laugh.

"Well, here's the building. Come on," Anita said as she ushered a zombie-like Tony and Maria up the stairs to apartment 311. Maria clutched Tony's arm as Anita reached out to knock on the door.

"It's alright," he reassured her. Footsteps and a few quick words in Spanish were heard before the door opened to reveal a small, older woman who could not be more than 5'1. Her cheeks were red and tears dotted the corners of her eyes.

"Maria," she said, pulling Maria into a tight embrace.

"Mama." Maria managed through her equally red cheeks and flowing tears. The door opened wider to reveal a tall, older man. His eyes were thankful when he looked at Anita. When he looked at Tony, his eyes expressed nothing but sadness.

"Come, come," the woman finally said when she managed to let go of Maria. They were led inside to a small living room where they all managed to sit down. Maria noticed nothing had changed much about the space; with the exception of some pictures of Carlos and to Maria's surprise, her own children, on the mantle. Tony kept a limp arm around Maria, fearing that if he showed too much affection, her parents, namely her father, would disapprove of him even more.

"Tony, this is Miguel, Maria's father. And this is Carlotta, Maria's mother," Anita explained to Tony. Miguel managed a head nod in Tony's direction. Miguel didn't seem like a man of many words, but Tony was still very intimidated.

"Hello," Tony said quietly and uncomfortably.

"_Te miran_, Maria. _Eres tan bella_." Carlotta smiled. She then smiled at Tony. Tony returned the gesture but quickly looked away.

"_Gracias, _Mama." Maria wiped her eyes. After a few moments of silence, Miguel spoke.

"How are you Maria?"

"Good. _Gracias, _Papa."

"That is good, that is very good. And how have the last six years been for you?" Miguel asked in a tone that could kill.

"Miguel!" Carlotta gasped. Maria gaped at her father, having a sudden loss for words.

"_Lo sientio _Carlotta." Miguel then turned to Maria and pointed a finger at her. "But I just cannot help wondering how _you _have spent these past six years living a happy life all the while knowing that you have put your mother and I through hell!" Miguel rose and towered over Maria.

"Miguel, _por favor_!" Carlotta tried weakly. Yes, they had every right to be angry at Maria, but Carlotta wanted to put that all behind her and start over. She had already lost one child, she didn't want to lose another.

"No! Must I remind you of the countless nights you spent _crying _over her? Must I remind you of the _pain_ she put us through?" Miguel was red-faced and his voice became terribly loud.

"But you don't understand!"

"What don't I understand Maria? That you turned your back on your _family _and left when we needed you the most?"

"Papa, _lo siento_!" Tears ran down Maria's cheeks again. But not out of happiness this time, but out of pure fear. Tony rose and clenched his jaw. Tony wished he could just show Miguel the better life he'd given to Maria.

"NO! YOU ARE NOT SORRY! YOU RAN OFF WITH THIS STUPID AMERICAN, AND…"

"You sound exactly like Bernardo," Anita said, just barely audible. Everybody froze and the room became deathly quiet. All eyes were on Anita.

"W-what?" Miguel whispered.

"You sound exactly like Bernardo. Can't you hear him screaming like that? You sound exactly like he would. The only difference is, Bernardo would be proud that his little sister got out." Anita's voice was so scolding. Miguel sat down and buried his head in his hands.

"Bernardo, _mi hijo_. _Ay mi pobre hijo,_" he sobbed. Maria got up and hesitantly put her hand on her father's shoulder.

"_Lo siento_, Maria. _Te amo_." Miguel hugged his daughter tightly. "Tony" Miguel walked to him, "I am very, very sorry. I love you too, _mi hijo_." Tony had never been called "son" before. He found that he liked it.

"_Gracias_." Tony smiled.


	8. All's Well That Ends Well

"Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye..." Well if that doesn't give it away, this will be the final instalment of _Take Me Back To Manhattan. _Iwait4theRain and I give mucho amor to our reviewers; all three of you lovelies now have frequent flier miles for sticking with us the whole way through! No, seriously. You don't know how excited we are to know that so many people read this and enjoyed it! I also hope you all have a most joyous turkey day! *gobble gobble*

So Penny L. Pingleton, maddiekinzz, and CouchPotato94 are officially honorary members of The Happy Hippie Home Helpers Club. Hope you all enjoy the final chapter!

* * *

"And you have to write her _exactly _what I told you to write, okay Uncle Tony?"

"I got it. But why can't you mail this to her?"

Carlos and Tony had come back from a morning walk and the whole time, Carlos went on and on and on about Ella. He then got the idea to mail her a letter to make sure Ella remembered who he was.

"I can't send it to her because I watch cartoons in my underwear on Saturday mornings and sleep with a night light!"

Carlos stomped angrily down the hall mumbling to himself.

"He also wrote the letter in crayon." Tony laid a piece of paper on the kitchen table. The only words that were clearly written were "I love you". Anita picked the paper up and rolled her eyes.

"He's his father."

Tony sat down at the table and looked over at Maribel and Rose.

"What are you two doing now?"

"We're seeing who can balance a spoon on their nose the longest."

"Uh-huh. Whoever loses has to drink that."

Rose pointed to a glass that contained a grayish liquid.

"Rose, what exactly is that?"

"Orange juice, milk, and hot chocolate."

Tony made a face as he picked up the girls' concoction of breakfast beverages and poured it down the sink.

"Obviously the two of you are done eating. Why don't you both go make sure you got all your things packed up, okay?"

"Rose, why did you have to tell him we were gonna drink that?"

Rose made a face at Maribel as they walked back the hall. Tony watched them and then noticed that Maria was nowhere in sight.

"Anita, where's Maria?"

"I don't know. She must of gotten up before I did because I haven't seen her either."

"Yeah. Uh, can you watch the girls for a little bit?"

"You're worried, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Tony opened up the door and disappeared down the flights of stairs. Anita sat down at the table to enjoy some rare peace and quiet. But it was cut short when Carlos ran down the hall towards the window.

"Be gone night light!" Carlos tossed his night light from window; the faint sound of a light bulb shattering rang out through the alleyway.

"Carlos, now what are you going to do tonight?"

Carlos looked from the window to his mother. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess I'll have to sleep with you."

"I guess so." Anita stared at Carlos for a moment. He looked so much like his father it was almost painful. His eyes, his smile. His determination.

"Carlos did I ever tell you how I met your father?"

"Eww! Love stories!"

Carlos sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Well you love Ella, don't you?"

"Mama that's different!"

"Oh I see."

Carlos stared at his glass if of orange juice, his thoughts on the father he never knew. The only thing he knew about him was that he was his _Tia _Maria's brother and that he loved his mother very much. His mother always said that his father would of loved him very much too.

"Mama, what...what was he like?"

Anita smiled at Carlos and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Well, he always..."

* * *

"Is that swing taken?"

Maria abruptly glanced up, but smiled when she saw Tony.

"No."

Tony took a seat and looked at Maria.

"What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I…I just needed some time to think."

"Hey, we already went through yesterday. What else could possibly be wrong?"

Maria gazed across the street at an elderly couple as they shuffled along the sidewalk. She hoped that she and Tony had those days to look forward to.

"Tony do you think things happen for a reason?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Well, I mean you and I wouldn't be here if things didn't happen for a reason. So, does that mean that your friend and…and my brother had…had to die for us to be happy?"

"No, of course not. Maria, all those things that happened were just…okay, things might have been different if neither of them died, but I like to think that things would still be the same. And who's to say that I was meant to die that night, huh? I do believe things happen for a reason. And even if we haven't figured out the reason for why two people died, we'll figure it out someday."

"When will that day be?"

"I hope before we're as old as those two."

Tony pointed to the sidewalk. The elderly couple hadn't made much headway on their walk.

"Me too. But growing old isn't all a bad thing. At least not if you do it with someone you love."

"True, but we don't have to worry about growing old for a _long_ time. Come on, I think Maribel and Rose are getting anxious to go home. I know I am."

* * *

Although Tony had driven past the same endless fields only a few days before, he still thought something was different about them. He looked at Maria; her head was rested against the window. Tony wasn't sure if she was asleep or not, but he didn't want to bother her; she'd gone through enough this week. Even Maribel and Rose were silent. They sat quietly in the back seat, both gazing out their windows.

"You two are quiet."

Not a sound from either of them. Tony adjusted the rearview mirror so both girls were visible.

"What's wrong? Are you sad because you had to say good bye to your cousin?"

"No. Mommy told us about the baby."

"I see. What, don't you want a little brother or sister?"

Maribel pried her eyes from the road and looked at her father.

"Daddy do I have to have _two_ little siblings? Isn't Rose enough?"

Rose stuck her tongue out at Maribel before speaking up.

"I only wanna baby if I get a little sister."

"Girls you don't really have a say in if you get a brother or sister. When the baby's born, we'll just be surprised."

"But where's the baby gonna sleep?"

"Well, for a while the baby will sleep with me and Mommy, but then…"

"…then you'll put her in Maribel's bed?" Rose asked excitedly, her brown eyes widening.

"No, Rose. Then the baby will sleep in that extra room upstairs."

Maribel and Rose sank back into the car seats. They made quite a pair, Tony thought. Fought like crazy, came up with creative ways to drive him and Maria insane, but sometimes they both could be very sweet to each other. Tony tried one last attempt to sway the girls' opinions.

"You know Rose, when the baby is born, you won't be the little sister anymore. And Maribel, you'll have to teach Rose how to be a good big sister."

Maribel smiled at this; she loved a chance to boss Rose around. And Rose was happy because now she would be able to tell someone what to do. Rose smiled and looked at Tony.

"Daddy I think we should name my baby sister Glitter Sparkle."

"Rose that's a dumb name! Lets name her Kool-Aid!"

Maribel and Rose argued about outlandish baby names the whole car ride home. Tony just smiled, knowing he had to get used to more of these arguments for eight more months.


End file.
